Philippines Palay, Corn Production Estimated to Decline in Q3

Palay (unmilled rice) and corn production in the third quarter were estimated to have decreased 15% and 14.4% year on year respectively, according to a survey of standing crops before the period ended, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported. As of Aug. 1, the PSA estimated palay output for the third quarter of 3.19 million metric tons (MMT), representing a decline from the actual year-earlier total of 3.75 MMT. If the estimates are borne out, the production total would miss the PSA’s 3.26 MMT forecast issued in July. Land planted to palay was estimated to have decreased 15.8% year on year during the period to 771.79 thousand hectares, with the yield per hectare believed to have risen 1% year on year to 4.13 MT. The area already harvested was 14.7% of the total planted to palay as of Aug. 1, yielding 455.25 thousand MT. Of the 1.55 million hectares of standing palay, 60.1% were in the vegetative stage, 26.1% at the reproductive stage, and 13.8% at the maturing stage. Corn output for the third quarter was estimated at 2.08 MMT, against the July projection of 2.11 MMT and down from the 2.43 MMT actually produced a year earlier. Land planted to corn was estimated to have dropped 12.8% year on year to 688.03 thousand hectares, with the yield per hectare thought to have dropped 1.6% to 3.02 MT. Of the total area planted to corn, 18.9% had been harvested, producing 366.79 thousand MT of corn. Of the 798.37 thousand hectares of standing corn, 39.2% were at the reproductive stage, 31.2% maturing, and 29.6% vegetative. — Marron Joshua F. Mendoza